Data drop: Everything you need to know about the UEFA Super Cup
Manchester City and Sevilla are set to face off in the UEFA Super Cup.
The Champions League and Europa League winners travel from England and Spain to play at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Greece.
Sevilla have won the competition once in six attempts, while the Citizens are challenging for the trophy for the first time.
Pep Guardiola’s side were beaten by Premier League runners-up Arsenal on penalties in the Community Shield and will be hoping to lift their first piece of silverware for the season.
We used the Twenty3 Toolbox to look at some of the key stats from their winning European campaigns ahead of their clash.
City’s control
City were dominant in Europe as they won their maiden Champions League last season. They led the competition for passes completed per 90 (561.69), with the second-best accuracy (90.08%).
Their control limited their opponents’ chances and enabled them to consistently carve out their own high-quality opportunities.
The Citizens ranked fifth for non-penalty shots on target (6.38), scoring an impressive 2.46 goals per 90.
Guardiola’s side were among the best in the competition defensively, conceding just four goals across their 13 fixtures and keeping eight clean sheets in the process.
Sevilla’s Europa League stranglehold
Sevilla’s run to their record seventh Europa League title began in the Champions League, where they finished third in their group and dropped down a tier.
The Spanish outfit quickly found their rhythm to win the competition once again, overcoming José Mourinho’s Roma despite the Portuguese’s phenomenal record in European finals.
Sevilla take a much more direct route to goal compared to City, attempting 51.89 long passes per 90, of which they completed 30.11 – which ranked ninth-best in the tournament.
Los Nervionenses also attacked the flanks with regularity, ranking third for crosses attempted (23.78) per 90, successfully completing 8.22 of those.
Defensively, they were active and aggressive, ranking sixth for ball recoveries per 90 (95.89).
Still, Sevilla had vulnerabilities, conceding 12.33 shots, 0.78 non-penalty goals and 1.47 xG per 90. Against City, any hint of weakness is likely to be exploited.
Mateo to make the difference
Despite their treble triumph, City have lost some of their star names, such as Riyad Mahrez and former captain İlkay Gündoğan.
The latter was a critical component of their success, dictating play in midfield and filling a number of roles required in the middle of the park.
However, the well-oiled City hierarchy have been quick to act – bringing Mateo Kovacic in to bolster the squad.
Should the Croatian feature in Greece, he will look to help City fashion chances in the final third, having ranked second among Chelsea players for final third passes completed per 90 in the Champions League last season (10.03).
Defensively, he is just as essential, ranking seventh in the Blues’ squad last term for Champions League ball recoveries in the opponent’s half per 90 (3.02).
His inclusion in Guardiola’s high-pressing system could be a recipe for success as City aim to win back the ball quickly and capitalise on errors from their opponent.
Astute Sow signing
Sevilla remain largely unchanged from last season.
The permanent signing of Loïc Badé bolsters their defence, while Djibril Sow’s addition from Eintracht Frankfurt helps revamp the midfield. The most notable exits thus far have been loan players Alex Telles and Bryan Gil.
Sow in particular looks to be an astute addition. In the Bundesliga last term, he led his team for both final third passes completed (173) and successful through-balls (18).
He will also be important in keeping the City attack at arm’s length during the Super Cup final. Sow won 119 of his 185 Bundesliga defensive duels and completed a team-high 133 ball recoveries in the opponent’s half.
The key players
The 2022-23 season was one to remember for City and even more so for Julián Álvarez.
The striker won the World Cup with Argentina before claiming a treble at club level and could be the difference-maker against Sevilla.
The 23-year-old scored nine goals in his debut Premier League campaign, despite playing second fiddle to Erling Haaland.
He was prolific in Europe, too, with three goals and two assists in just 511 minutes.
Álvarez averaged 2.47 shots and 4.4 touches in the opposition box per 90 in the Champions League last season while still working tirelessly out of possession, ranking sixth for pressures per 90 (11.8).
For Sevilla, holding onto Youssef En-Nesyri was crucial despite rumours of Premier League interest in the Moroccan striker’s services.
He scored four goals in their Europa League-winning campaign, leading the tournament for headed shots (10) while ranking third for shots on target (10).
If either side are to emerge victorious, they will need their key players to step up in the Super Cup final.
All visualisations in this article were produced with the Twenty3 Toolbox. For more information, please get in touch below.